Lxquobs and the like



G. NOLSM PHCEE'S 0F 'MENING WOOL SUOUHING LIQMRS MJU TME LIME APPLICATION FILED DEE-:24. MN5.

lll

i@ in erariale memup ma l EUEILGJE HEKULSMY, Ult? NEW Ylttl, Y., ASSIGNOR T0 THE lDflillllUNlD MATCH CDMPMW,

lllltClElSS 0l? TREATNG WOL-SCUURN? LlQUURS AND THE LIKE. y

To all' whomzt may conce/rn 4 Be' it known that l, (luenen ltoLsircr, a citizen ofthe Republic bt Switzerland, [and resident of the city and county ot' New Yor r and State of New York, have invented certain nevi7 and useful llmprovements in Prod esses 'ot 'lreating 1Wool-Scouring Liquors Iand the like, of Which the :tollovving is a specihcation. y

lhls `invention relates to a process ot treating aqueous liquors containing greasy,

itatty or oily materials; having reference,

, more particularly, to the `treatment ott liquors which have been used in the scourinw ot sheeps Wool.

nThe primary objectV of my invention is the' recovery or utilization in an economical .and eilicient'inanner ot valuable products (grease, potash, etc.,) from Wool-scouring liquors, especially, though not exclusively',

.from such liquors whichl have been em- Lilli lui' ployed in a single scouring operation, as dis-` tinguished from operations which involve.

successiveiwashings of the Wool. When the potashI andthe grease are removed from the Wool in 'a sin le-Wash o eration the resulting liquor is ot so great a volume, and consequent-ly dilution, that it is unprotitable to employ evaporation treatment' for the recovery ot potash, and on account ot the pro# hibitive cost it is also impracticable to separate the ygrease by the actionvot acids, or

other chemicals, which have heretofore been A suggested for that purpose.`

Another obect ot my invention is the deodorizing and decolorizing oi the liquor (vvhichhas an odensive odor and an vunpleasant appearance), and hence the waste liquor, after treatment, may be discharged into natural streamswithout danger ot polluting lthem. Other important objects and advantages of my invention will beherein after pointed ont. v

rll`he leading feature of my invention re-` sides in the treatment ot Wool-scouring or analogous liquor yvith .an agent which etliciently coagulates the emulsilied grease (or the like) content in such a manner that the latter can be readily separated froili the liquor, and which agent is recoverable tor repeated use in a cyclic process thus materially reducing the cost ot the procedure.

lli/lore specifically stated such agent cominstance, ot the centrifugal type.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dem 23., jldrtg,

Application filed lDccember 5M, 1915. Serial No. 68,539.

prises a compound ot a precipitating metal oxid and an acidfivhich compound is de coniposable by 'hydrolysis When heated in the presence ot Water.

'llhe invention comprehends various other features and modes olf procedure which need not be preliminarily mentioned as they Will be hereinafter i'ully described andthe scope hill titi

rlhe Wool-scouring" liquor (i. c. liquor i which has been used for scouring Wool) or other liquor to be treated, is supplied through a conduit 10 to a tank ll which also receives through a ioe 12 a cuttin agent comprising, preferably, a solution ot aluminum sullite, AlSOQB. The tank is preferably equipped with an agitator 13 for the purpose ot hastening the action by lthoroughly mixing the tivo liquids. "lh'e aluminum `sullite (or other agent having the general characteristics hereinafter mentioned) acts ou the'wool-scouring liquor in such a Way as to cause an easy subsequent separation ot the grease or like emulsied material from the remaining liquid. lis a mater ot tact, it the mixture were allowed to stand'undisturbed after the treatment with the cutting'agent, the grease would rise to the surtace ot the liquid; but such procedure would require a relatively long period oit time. For commercial rehsons, therefore, l

preiier to hasten the operation. Accordingly the mixture oit' liquid and -ernulsilied substance is caused to pass through an overflow pipe la into a tunnel l5, and thence to a suitable separator ,16, which maybe, ,flor

he grease or `other emulsilied substance passes from the separator through aydischarue pipe l? to a storage receptacle `(not shown lli or to suitable apparatus tor further treat,`

ment. V The non-greasy liquid passin out from the separator through a suitab y-located pipe 18.. consists ot a solution n-t lull aluminum sulite (more dilute than that posed into sulfur dioxid gas and aluminum hydroXid,"while the potassium salt remains in solution.

The liberated sulfur dioXid passes from the tower 20 through a pipe 23, whilethe alum1- num hydroxid is collected near tlre bottom of the tower on a suitable filter and gratingy 24, and the solution of potassium salts is received in an underlying pan or tank 25. This solution of potassium salts is 'at first too dilute to be treated economically by evaporation for the recovery of the potassium salts; and consequently I use the liquor collected in the tank 25,' as a wash liquor for scouring the wool, and do this repeatedly until, through the successive washing operations, the liquid collected in thetank 25 is of such concentration asvto\ be suitable for the usual evaporation treatment. Inasmuch as some sulfur dioXid remains in the solution of potassium salts, and as it is desirable to remove the former in order to avoid its detrimental action on pipes and other parts of the apparatus, I prefer to subject the solution, before it is used for a succeeding scouring operation, to a treatment which consists in passing air or carbon dioXid therethrough, in the presence of lime or limestone. The reaction taking place in the decomposition tower 20 may be represented by the following equation:

un fuusoaeiHzO: QAMOH) ,+r-120443502.

The aluminum hydroxid collected onv the\ filter and grating at the bottom of the tower 2() is withdrawn through a pipe 2G, by the action of a pump 27 and delivered to the top of a combining tower 28` which may be of a construction similar to that of the tower'20, except that the heater and the filter are omitted. The sulfur dioXid gas is delivered through t-lie pipe 23 to the lower portion of the combining tower 28, and travels therein in the opposite direction to the aluminum hydroxid, the, latter being suspended in a sufficient amount of water or ysolution to enable it to be fed by the pump cooled or other cooling means (not shown) may be provided if desired. This reaction is represented by the equation:

The aluminum sulte thus reconstituted is collected in a tank 29 at the bottoni of the tower 28, from 'which tank a circulating pump returns it-to the tank 11 through the pipe 12. Barring slight losses, incident to leakage, partial neutralization, &c., the process hereinbefore described requires no renewal of the original supply of cutting agent,aiid the economy of the process in this respect willpbe manifest.

If the recovery of the potassium salts (and other salts) contained in the liquid which is collected in the tank 25 be not desired, such liquid may be treated as waste and discharged into a river or other body of water, in which case the process would effect chiefly the recovery of the grease and the rendering of the waste liquid colorless and odorless.

The alumiirum sulfite employed by me as a cutting agent as hereinbefore described,`

may be obtained in any suitable manner, for. instance, by treating aluminum hydroxid with sulfur dioxid gas. y

My invention in its broad aspect coiitemplates the employment of zinc or iron sulite as a cutting agent, or, in general any derivative of sulfurous acid (HZSOB), thc SOe of which is in unstable chemical conibination, so to be decomposable by liydrol vs-is when heated in the presence of water. Or. in other words, I may employ as a cutting agent any salt which when heated in the presence of water will evolve SO2 and an insoluble compound, which latter, when treated with SO2 at a lower temperature will again form the said salt.

Among the advantages of my improved process, I desire to emphasize the following:

First: The cost of the chemicals required foi the treatment is reduced to a minimum` particularly in that the cutting agent is used over and over. again.

Second: The successive use of the same potassium saltso'lution (after the removal of the grease and preferably after expelling any ren'iaining SO2) for washing wool, so as to increase the concentration with respect to potassium salts and thus render the subsequent evaporation more economical.

Third: The removal of grease or other emulsified matter so completely that the remaining` liquid shows no trace of fat.

Fourth: The obtaining of wool-grease in a state of purity.

Fifth: The thorough deodorizing and decolorizing of the wool-scouring liquor, so that it may be safely discharged into streams without danger of polluting them.

nooners l may add lthat the process which have `hereinbetore particularly described to enemplity my invention, may be modiied in various particulars Without departing .trom the principle loit 'the invention.

What 1 claim is-'-4 l. et process ot treating the .'liqiior resulting trom the-operation ot Wool scouring ing the said derivative of sulfurous acid into materials which readily separate from the aqueous liquor, and bringing sucli materials together apart from attleast the major poii tion ot said liquor, under conditions capable ot e'ecting the regeneratiori ot vthe said derivative ot sult'urous acid.

2. Ai process oftreating the aqueous liquor resulting tromthe operation ot Wool Vscouring `which comprisesooagulating the grease therein by adding to such liquor,1a

solution ot a derivative oit suliturous acid which is coagulative ot' grease, the sulturous anhydrid oit' .which derivative is in unstable `chemical combination with the base tliereot,

so that the Vsame is decompos-ableby lay-y drolysis When heated in the presence oit Water, separating the grease from theaqueous liquor, and thereafter heating the liquid snttciently to decompose ythe `sulturous acid derivative. i" f 3. it process ot treating the liquor resulting troni the operation of Wool scouring, which comprises coagulating the grease v'therein by adding'to said liquor a solution oit a salt wbichis coagulative ot the grease in the liquor, and which salt-When heated in the presence ot'water evolves sulfur dioxi'd and produces a ecipitation-ot an `insoluble compound Wliiclji latter'vrhen treated at a lovver temperature-With sultur dioirid in the presence ot Water is'capable oi again 'torming the said salt, thereatter' separating the y coagulated grease from the remaining liquid,

'and regeneratingthe treating salt.

t. t process of treating aqueous liquor containing emulsitied grease, which process A comprisessubjecting'the liquor to the action ot the sul-dta oit an insoluble compound which is ooagulative ot grease in the liquor and which Sultite can be revivitied, separating the grease trom the remaining liquid; treating the said liquid to recover and re- 'vivitythe said compound, and using the latter tor the treatment ot further quantities oit aqueous liquor containing emulsiiied grease.

5r. .dprocess ot treating 4the liquor result- I ing from, a Wool-scouring operation which comprises the `coagulating of grease therein by subjecting the said liquor to treatment with a solutionot dluininuin sul-lite, thereafter separating the einiilsi-ied grease from the remaining liquid, heating the remainingr liquid sutlioiently to decompose `the alumi- `nuin sulte, into a basic aluminum compound and siilturdioxid, and bringing toiretlier the said aluminum compound and sultur dioxid so produced, at a lower temperature to regenerate .tlie aluminum sul'ite.

6. It process of ltreating the aqueous liquor, resulting fronttlie voperation of Wool scouring, which comprises coagulating the grease therein by the action ot' aluminum suliite; separating. thecoagulated greasefrom the remaining liquid; heating the said liquid at a temperature suiiicien't to evolve sul'tur dioirid and to 'precipitate a basic aluminum compound; separating the soluble residuuin; bringin .said sultur dioxid into contact with said a uminiuq-oontaining precipitate at a lower temperature to reconstitute the said aluminum sultite; and' using the latter solution for the treatment ot rurther quantities ot the liquor resulting from Wool scouring. 7.. A process ot treating the liquor resulting -trein the operation oi Wool-scouring,

which process lcomprises coagulating the grease by .subjecting the liquor to the action ot a solution ot aluminum sulte; separating the coalrulated grease from the remaining liquid; 2heating the said liquid at a temperature sutticient to evolve sulfur dioxid and to precipitate aluminum in the torni ot a basic compound; separating a substantial portion oit the soluble residuuin containing potassium salts and using it as a Wash liquor in subsequent operations until a predeter-l mined `concentration has been attained;

bringing said sulfur dioiiid into active contact With said precipitated aluminum coinpound at a lower temperature to reconstitute said aluminum sultite solution, and- Ausing the latter solution for the treatment quantities of Wool-scouring of t'urther liquor. v

8. A process ot treating liquids containing soapy and fatty materials which comprises adding thereto a grease-precipitating agent, separating the grease, thereatter decomposing at least a majorpart or' the said agent, separating the reaction products of such decomposition froin the bulk of the liquid, and reuniting the same to regenerate said agent. j 9. ln the separation ot grease from Wool Washings, the steps ot adding thereto a solution containing aluminum sulite, decoinposing said sultite and subsequently regenerating aluminum sultite from the products of such decomposition.

10. 1n the separation oit grease from liquors containing einulsitied grease, of the general lcharacter of Wool-Washings, the step of adding thereto an agent capable of coagulating tlie grease, such agent comprising a substantially neutral sulite which is readily decomposable into SO2 and a precipitate, by a heating operation.

l1. In the separation of grease from Wool-washings, the step of treating such Washings With sulfurdioXid-containing agent capable of coagulating grease', sepa.- rating such coagulated grease, heating the remaining liquor to a temperature sutliciently high to decompose the precipitating agent, separating the products of suoli decomposition from at least the bulk of the liquor, regenerating the precipitating agent, and treating a further amount of the Washings with suchA regenerated precipitating agent.

l2. A process of treating the liquor resulting from the operation of Wool scouring which comprises coagulating the grease thereposing the salt into such metal compound and gaseous substance which readily separate from the aqueous liquid, and bringing such materials together, apart from at least a large portion of the said liquor, under conditions capable of producing theregeneration of the soluble salt used in the first step.

Signed at New York, in the county and State of New York, this 23d day of Deceniber, A. D. 19145. v

GEORGE KOLSKY. 

